Pesticide-Free Cinnamon Cliff Tea ~ Rou Gui Yan Cha

There is a saying about Wuyi Cliff Teas:"In fragrance, none surpass Cinnamon."  This tea is one of the classic Cliff/Rock Teas of the Wuyi Mountains, so named for the rocky climate, in which soil is scarce, and tea will sometimes grow out of the cliff sides.  It is a regular practice in the Wuyi Mountains to break up soil and carry it in baskets (generally on either end of a bamboo pole slung across the shoulders) to the tea-growing areas, where retaining are frequently built from the nearby stones to contain the valuable dirt.   This late-growing bush varietal has a history of over a hundred years of cultivation, and it is particularly known for its powerful and long-lasting fragrance.  This particular Rou Gui was naturally grown alongside the banks of the Nine Bends River, in the Wuyi Mountains.   Dry, its leaves carry an aroma reminiscent of iron.  Wet, their bouquet floral and spicy, with notes of orchids, cinnamon, chocolate, and fudge brownies.  Its flavor is rich, deep, full, sw